My cousin was once a Mary Kay consultant about 2 years ago. She became inactive, but in January of 2013, she started to give Mary Kay another try, this time with a new director than in her first attempt. I attended her business debut party, and her director put on the party for her. Her director was very convincing, so convincing that I forgot about everything bad I had heard about Mary Kay, and I became entranced in the “pink dream” as I like to call it. She told me her husband got to quit his job because of the income she was bringing in, and that she was on her second pink Cadillac. She said the products sold themselves, and I believed her because my cousin sold $1000 retail during her business debut.

I went to my cousin’s director’s unit meeting, and got pinned as a consultant that night. I was beyond excited, I got recognition for being a new consultant, I gave my director my credit card number, and my starter kit came in the mail a few days later. But then, “the call” came in: the dreaded inventory call. Up until this point, I told myself I was not getting inventory. I had hardly any money in the bank, and was starting Mary Kay in the hopes to gain money, not spend money. But my director convinced me otherwise. She told me I wouldn’t be active unless I placed an order, that women wouldn’t wait for product that I didn’t have on hand, if I didn’t have product this would only be a hobby not a career, that inventory will make me a successful consultant. Well, I fell for it, and order the “minimum” of $600. She ordered my inventory for me, and once I received it, I became discouraged. It was full of lots of color products in weird colors (dark brown lipstick?) and I was confused how I was going to sell it all, but she told me they were all “best sellers” (yeah, right).

My director told me to invite everyone I new to my debut, and I did. I texted, called, Facebook messaged, even sent out invitations in the mail. I had 80 people invited, but few said they’d come. Because of snow, the debut got postponed, and even fewer people agreed to come to the rescheduled date (like 5 people, who were all family). At this point, the pink fog started to lift. If I couldn’t get people to come to my debut, how could I get a datebook full of classes and parties if I couldn’t even get people to come to one party? I realized that I wasn’t the “Mary Kay type”, and that it was time to get out now. I called my friend, who was also in my director’s unit, and told her my concerns. She called my director and told on me, and I got a phone call from my director. I ignored it, and called MK headquarters to get my product repurchase sheet sent to me in the mail. Once I did that, I called my director back and told her I was no longer in the company. She tried to tell me that I quit before I even got started, but I didn’t care. I saw enough of Mary Kay to know that I didn’t want to be a part of it any longer.

Do you have a memorable experience from your time in Mary Kay? If so, please tell us about it.

When I got my inventory return check in the mail, I was so happy! Finally, some money gets to go back into my account. I lost a little money in MK, but it’s a small price to pay compared to the hours and hours of time I would have spent as a consultant trying to earn money unsuccessfully.

What are you doing now?

Going to school, giving my cousin my starter kit items that I never used, and being grateful I’m not in MK anymore.

Feel free to include any additional comments here:

Do NOT buy inventory. You customers (if you have any will wait). If you decide to quit, your director/recruit will guilt you into staying, DO NOT LISTEN! They only don’t want you to quit because any commission they made off of your order(s) they have to pay back. Don’t feel guilty, you’re not a loser for quitting, you’re smart for quitting.

Comments

Hi ladies,
I know I probably won’t fit in here, since I am an active MK consultant, but I just had to say a word or two (and I’m really NOT trying to be controversial).

When I read some of these comments, I must say that I am absolutely baffled.

I have NEVER been told to tell women to hide their purchases from their husbands.

I have NEVER been encouraged to buy any more product than what was needed to service my customers and use for demos.

I have NEVER been deceived by the company into “stocking up” on items they were about to discontinue.

I HAVE received a LOT of training on finances and money management to help me with my business (which lined up EXACTLY with the money management counseling I received from the Small Business Association when starting another business years ago).

This IS a business, and you do have to WORK and if you are planning on WORKING, having inventory (at least some) is a great idea (Small Business Admin, said the same years ago – actually told me not to expect actual PROFIT for 6 mos to a year as I built my business). My recruiter DID NOT talk me into a LOT of inventory. She asked me to decide how I wanted to WORK my business and gave me the best options. I actually started with NO inventory and have NOT been treated any differently for having made that choice.

As far as “sales pitches” go, every company has these. When I worked in a transportation department, I was instructed what to say/not say to customers. When I worked in retail and dental assisting – same thing. Not sure why it’s not expected in Mary Kay.

I have NOT had to “stalk” people to get my business going. There have actually been a LOT of people interested on their own.

Mary Kay IS comparable to brands like Clinique, as far as quality goes. You only have to do a little research (outside of the brands to get unbiased data) to find that out.

Every time something has come up with my family, I have been encouraged to “take care of your family.”

Anyway, reading everyone’s comments here seems so “foreign” to what I have experienced. In the end, maybe it’s who you join up under and how they choose to operate. All I know is that my experience HAS NOT been at all like yours. Just thought I would share that.

I agree with Rebecca. It is a business and you do have to work. Just like you have ro get up and go to work everyday. It does depend on your director but it always depends on what you want out of your business.

You must have a good director. I just got my kit this year and my original director was heavy on me tryna get inventory and even tried to get me to get a credit card to pay for the inventory. I was hit with the “Customers will not wait” line too. Its hit or miss.

I roo, am an active consultant. I bought too much inventory maybe, but that was my fault and the reason I’m not rolling in the dough yet is my own fault. I too, have never been lied to and have been offered all the help I want.
I agree with Rebecca.

I am actually baffled that woman actually believe that they will have a successful business without having goods to sell. It’s like buying a building that you want to be a deli but you are just going to put a sign out that says deli but you do not want to stock bread, cold cuts, milk etc. inventory is never mandatory but it is highly recommended. As far as I know, no other company offers anything near the 90% buy back guarantee. I have been a Director for over 16 year. My job is to let all my new consultants know what their OPTIONS are. I guide each based on what they want out of their business, how much time they plan to put into it and what’s best for them. I have had countless consultants start with no inventory at all. Makes no difference to me. As long as they make an informed decision.

As for being a Director. You become a director because of the people you have sold product to…who love the product and CHOSE to sell Mary Kay. As for “Buying into the Pink Dream”? Thats nuts….every company a person works for we must believe first that it is either a good fit for us or that it will help us financially. I believe Mary Kay offers a means of supporting ones self…and yes, you need some product to begin doing parties to “Make Money”. Not everyone will want your product but when you do your homework and do research you discover the benefits of your products and you are eager to sell the product. If anyone is unhappy with mary kay its because they themselves had unrealistic goals. It is at best a side job that a person may or may not turn into their own personal empire. I have not been an active consultant for 6 years, but when I was in Need….deep financial Need…Mary Kay saved me. Every party I had I made myself at least 500.00 minimum. There was no sales pitch to put that money back into the company. Each party I had I brought a cute hostess gift. I gave the same gift to anyone who booked a followup party from me. I did at least 1 party a week and I made myself 1500-2,000. a month in income from selling products woman actually need and love. The company stands behind the product. Anyone can return what they do not like. The beauty of Mary Kay is you TRY THE product before you buy it. No one forced any of you to do anything. It sounds to me that the experience you had requires you to look truly into your expectations and your own drive.

No, you become a director because you signup up a team of people under you. It has nothing to do with selling products to other people…except, of course, selling inventory to your recruits. That is precisely how you become a director. It has NOTHING to do with how much you sell to “customers.” Your customers as far as Mary Kay is concerned are your recruits.

Don’t come here and preach about hose people are unhappy because of unrealistic goals. The company marches out those unrealistic and unattainable goals as part of its brainwashing so people will sign up.

If you were actually MAKING 1,500 to 2,000 in PROFIT per month, then you are in the .0000001% of all Mary Kay consultants. Most can’t even sell $500 profit in a year. And they teach you how to coerce women into having “parties” (which were popular in 1950…) and how to coerce women you sign up to buy thousands in inventory. So people are forced. It’s hard to resist.

Good for you, but quit preaching. We’ve heard it all before. Shouldn’t you be out coercing women to buy more MK?

To LJ:
There’s no need to be rude just because you had a bad experience. MK is not for everyone. If it doesn’t work for you, then move on. Don’t reply rude comments just becauseyou’re upset.

I know a lady who is very close to me that made almost $2,000 in a week. She is not a Director. All she did was found what works for her. At the same time, she works a full-time job, working countless hours. I know because I was one of her students!

To Ms Marshall: I’m proud of you. If you found clients that buy from you, good for you.

My straight-forward response can come off as rude to those who expect the same blind sunshine and lollipops hype that MK puts forward. This site has always been brutally honest. If you detect some anger in any of the discussion here, most likely it’s justified. A lot of women bought the MK hype and lost chunks of money and self-respect.

I too am an active Consultant and LOVE my Director and Sister Consultants! It has been a fun adventure and I love it! I think it really depends on who you sign up with/under and what support you get. I agree with everything Rebecca said. And you definitely get out of it what you put into it.

Mary Kay does not ‘boot’ anybody. You sign up and you confirm you will be purchasing QUARTERLY products. I have gone almost a year without purchasing products and when I repurchase I still get my discount. How could you not be purchasing products if you are a rep……at the minimum don’t YOU YOURSELF use products? If so…you would need to replenish your own stock every 3-4 months. So to say “booted” you ……is ridiculous….there is so much more to that statement. You are not being honest here.

Does anyone think that every person that completed the bar is a GREAT attorney? Or everyone who’s put in 35 hundred of hours in cosmology is a GREAT hair dresser? I can go on an on..

You get out of a business what you put in a business.

As far as hidding things from your spouse, that’s not thought at MK. Women have been hidding shoes, clothes and furniture for years. If it’s not or did not work for you or someone you know, they didn’t “work” the business. You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.

I love my Mary Kay business. God, family Career, the order to success!

I have been a MK consultant for almost 4 years. I do make money and have NEVER done a party have No consultants under me.
Dont get me wrong Im not getting rich Im selling enough to get my discount an making alittle extra, I only got into MK because I didnt like paying full price for the products I used.

Really good commnents…I don’t have inventory except for the Min. order of $225 wholesale and am getting customers thru the online ordering. I have only that on my MK business cards….my MK web address and “Shop online with me 24/7”.

I’m trying to help my wife start selling mary kay . We have the stater kit and have no money for inventory because she just gave birth 3 weeks ago . Where are some places you can host a debut party if you have no friends or family to host it? Please I’ll really appreciate the feedback and help

Host it at your own home. Don’t let the word debut intimidate you. The most important thing is that she gets started sharing the products with people. The most effective use of her time will be to do it with groups of 3-5 women.

She must connect with her recruiter and director, schedule a date to have it, and invite as many family members, friends and coworkers as she can. This will help her kick her business off. Knowledge is power, so going to weekly success meetings for training, and attending as many events as possible (fall advance, career conference, seminar, and local events) throughout the year is the key to MK success. The next bit of advice is; Be coachable! If you don’t have money for inventory, I recommend investing most of your earnings back into your business to build your inventory, but if not, do the 60/40 split. (60% business, 40% profit)

DIdn’t her starter kit come with the Miracle Kit? Those are the primary products. Also who did your wife sign up ‘under’? She could ask her leader to lend her products to begin doing parties. One does not sign up and get free products other than the STARTER KIT….so Im baffled by your statement. She could also start at local fairs, churches, schools for funds drives etc.

Hi I am a current Mary Kay consultant and thank you Rebecca for your comments. I too have not been pressured I actually like this job and work another one but want to me make Mary Kay my full time job in two years as my goal I am making more money when I sell Mary Kay than I do of that all week at my office job so I have no complaints.
The only thing I do not like is the propay account. I am currently seeking to find another way to process credit cards like the square as they are not as expensive. That is a big cost to sell for customer direct. But otherwise having had my own business for thirty years ,, you do get what you put into your business. You have t build a clientelle. You have to be a social person and be able to develop relationships with people. If you don’t feel you can best not sign up for Mary Kay ,,, but what company gives you 90% of your money back? Mary Kay is a wonderful product. It is most definitely one of the top cosmetics around and has a great reputation.

Hi Andrea I am sorry you had a bad experience with Mary Kay. I love my Mary Kay business Have been a consultant since 2009 for the second time around. The first time I was not serious enough but this time I run it like a business. Which means stocking inventory. I built up my inventory over a full year by selling and reinvesting. I have a small but very loyal customer base who love the products and have said they appreciate that when they want anything they know they can pop in and get it. I even have an 82 year old customer who loves the foundation primer almost as much as me. .Once I built my inventory now I just reorder to replenish and keep my profit. I hate to do skin care classes lol but I love one on one and usually sell 100 to 300 at a time.. I do not order a lot of limited edition one as a tester and then order if still available if anyone wants if not I use it and still write off as a tester. I do have a pro pay account and I love it and I find the fees are reasonable for the convenience .
I agree with the ladies above a lot depends on your sales director, Mine never pushed me into anything. she wants me to be successful.. So I just say to anyone who wants to start don’t think you are going to get rich quick but this business if done right can be a great supplemental income or replace your current income if you want to work like you do at your regular job. and put the effort in…

I am considering selling Mary Kay. I have been trying to consider all angles. Whether I am serious enough, how I can network my business, if I can start slow and work my full time job for a while until I am making enough money. So many considerations. The biggest obstacle seems to be if my personality is out going enough to be successful. I’m very introverted. I purchased 200$ worth of skincare to try for a couple months on my own. I have to use something myself and know it works before I can sell it, otherwise I will feel like a crook. I do like my new potential mentor though. She follows up with me but is not pushy. She’s probably 15 years younger than I am though!
I would love any networking ideas anyone could offer.

I am 56 and started selling Mary Kay in Perth Australia at the age of 24. I love the products and I just cannot quit .It made good returns for me. I have a job as a business manager now but I still order my Mary Kay. One day when I slow down I intend to sell Mary Kay as a business again.

Mary Kay is an awesome company to work for. They uplift women and help them to become empowered and self sufficient. It is a job, you do have to work it daily as any job, You will get out of it what you put into it. Don’t be pressured into buying inventory or anything you don’t want to do. I suggest going to ALL your Directors Party’s that way you can invite your friends and family to them and it’s always a good learning experience. Try to start up with a friend who has the same goals and enthusiasm as you do. I did and it has been a wonderful experience for me. I have not been a consultant long, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of being a part of such a great company. Mary Kay makes women feel beautiful, worthy and appreciated. Not many companies out there can say that! The other business I work for certainly can’t and 99% of the people that work for them are women!

Can I say something. I have use the products all my life. Really just about 3 years after it became a company. Have had to find consultants so I could get my products. I just think Mary Kay skin care is the best you can buy if you use them like you are suppose to. On my daughter’s 16 birthday she told me she wanted to go to our beauty consultant, who was a friend of our and have the whole thing done so she could see what all she needed. So for her 16th birthday, she got the correct skin care for her and any color products that she wanted. In 1998, I decided that I wanted to go into the Mary Kay business, so I went to my consultant and told her to sign me up. I was still working a full time job and my idea was to work Mary Kay as a part time job until I retired in about 3 years and then go into it full time. I never knew what would come next. In June of 1999, I had to take a medical, disability retirement, and I was in the hospital in Chicago when I got the news that it had been approved. I live in Louisiana. I have migraines, but between 1997 and 199 they got proggressively worse until when I left LA to go to Chicago, when I got there I really don’t remember much except being wheeled thru a parting garage and being taken into the hospital through a back door and ten being put into a hospital bed, the lights were already off in the room, but I remember putting a pillow over my head. They came in and gave me something for the headache and that ia about all I can remember for a while. I was having what they called “transformed migraines” that is one migraine 24/7 and a #9 or 10, I was in the hospital for 11 days, which was just the beginning of my journey of trying to find a treatment for my horrible migraines. I was in the hospital about 8 times and had to go to Chicago anywhere from 3 or 4 times a years until gradually my headaches began to get better, not stopped but better. The routine was to give you something for your headaches, while trying to find something they could send you home with called “preventives”. Medicines you took every day. And also “abortives” which was medicines that would stop or at least lower a headache when you got one anyway. Learned a lot about migraines, triggers, biofeedback, and how to deal with stress. I went to Diamond Headache Clinic is Chicago from June of 1999 until about April of 2014. I was on good preventive medicines and I hardly had any migraines but when I did, I also had abortives to try to stop or slow the down, depending on how bad there were. I knew a lot about triggers and pretty well could take care of those, all except the environmental one and if I ate some foods that someone else made that had trigger foods in them. But then my headaches were not as bad as they had been. So now my headaches are pretty well undercontrol, just as long as I take my daily medication., four of them mostly 2 or 3 times a day. And I will take them forever. I no longer have to go to Chicago, unless something really bad happens with my medication but I stay on it and have 2 different sets of abortives. One for headaches up to about a 5 and stronger ones up to about a 7 or 8.
I explain all of this because I wanted to go into Mary Kay full time when I retired but I did not play on having to take a medical retirement and having to live with migraines for so long. In the beginning, before the headaches got so bad, I did have some parties and my 30 faces in 30 days and my debut. I do the best I can do, but it is really hard when you really don’t have a way to meet new people and introduce them to the products. And I only have about 4 customers because I could not drive for abut 8 years and they would have to come to my house and pick up their products. Right now I just stay active so I can get my own products, and anything my daughter wants. I have 2 granddaughters and I get them anything they want, usually the limited time products. Because neither of them really wear any makeup. They both have beautiful skin. I still send out my PCP books and the program where customers can go to my website and order something their self with a credit card and have it shipped to whatever address the list has been good for me, because I have had customers that I don’t even know order things from my website. I try to contact them and add them to my PCP list and I have added a customer or two that way, because They find out that I am really close to where they live and that I have the products they want in my inventory and they can just come pick them up rather than ordering on line. I have considered just going inactive and finding a Mary Kay consultant and ordering from them, but I like a lot of the stuff you can get from Sect 2 and connections. So right now I just order enough and as often as it takes to stay active and try to pick up a few local customers to help pay for my quarterly orders and use some of the limited edition items as gifts for my granddaughters and other friends that I know will like them. And order the items that I use. My sister became a consultant for a little while, she lives about 2 hours away and she went in under a director where she lives, but she didn’t stay in it that long, so she gave me all of her left over inventory and her starter kit and paperwork and things that really helped me get a little more organized. And when she wants something, she just get it from me and I give her a discount. I really wish I could be more involved but my first director was over 2 hours away and she had to give all of her people to her director, who I NEVER HEARD FROM. She never tried to include me, never helped me or anything. I dropped out for a year and then went back in under a local director but as it turned out, she was under another director which was about an hour and a half away and almost computer illiterate. And all I ever got from her was a newsletter once a month. I really would like to have a local director that would help me and work with me. I think we together could come up with some ways to help my business but I don’t have that pleasure. I have some ideas but no one to work with me on and also have ideas for holiday open house but still no one to help or encourage me. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Thanks

Hi!
Can someone please tell me how to become inactive/quit Mary Kay without using the repurchase program (as a lot of the stuff for my inventory was bought for me, hoping I would fall in love with the products… Not so much.). Do I just not make any purchases for 3 months? Or can I just call somewhere and say, “I quit”?? I’ve been scouring the internet for hours and no one seems to have the answer to this particular question. I’m completely done though and wish to have no further ties.
Thank you for your help!

All I can say as an Active consultant is that no matter what your director says, you know what you can invest and you know know your pockets. 600 was all I could start with, and did that over the course of a month. I was not forced. But I knew my options. I set my own pace and my director respected that but was available for training and guidance. However, Mary Kay is not for everyone. You gotta work at it! But that’s for any business owner.

My family has been working in MK and have been successful in their own way and at their own pace. It’s all about ambition and drive. If you want something go and get it. Failure is going to happen but the next major key is having a strong support system. It’s not easy and no job ever is..but my support system is helpful in this type of career. Your business is what you make it. My mother in-law was very poor with no car and a baby. She gave facials and even knocked door to door with her baby. She became sales director and makes more than her husband. I love MK because the fundamental lesson is that your business is what you make it and if you want it you need to go out and get it. My mother in law is my living proof that there are no excuses in life that stops you from getting what you want.

Well there ain’t such a thing as a “dark brown lipstick” that’s what I think Mary Kay it’s been missing. almost all of the colors are pink or corals or reds, believe me if there was such shade I would of bought it already, and no not all directors push you into buying and place the orders for you, I did place an initial order of 600 but I get to choose the stuff I want, they gave a suggested inventory brochure but you are not forced into it unless you really don’t paying attention to what you buy

Hello, I’m very curious to who the director your cousin had was! Because all this is happening to me as well! She told me the same thing that she was able to have her husband retire because of this which I still wonder how exactly that’s possible. I was made to believe that all you had to do was pay $100 for a starter kit but as soon as I got it my director is telling me how much inventory I need to buy and asking me to get a credit card or have my fiancé co sign for me and asking his credit score. It’s so different than what I was made to think. She made me think I can do it in my own time but is constantly messaging me asking where I’m at with things..